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Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) is a real term used in healthcare that refers to daily basic self-care activities in an individual's residence, outdoor environment or both. The ability or inability that an individual performs their ADLs is a measure of the functional status of the individual, particularly the injured, those with disabilities and the elderly. Very young children require assistance from adults to perform ADLs since they have not yet developed the skills necessary to perform ADLs on their own.

Basic ADLs (bADLs) are the things we normally do such as bathing, dressing, feeding ourselves, functional mobility, personal hygiene and grooming. Instrumental ADLs (iADLs) are things such as housework, money management, preparing meals, shopping and work.

Sometimes it is necessary to review the rules of kindergarten to remember how to be nice to others and use Good manners. And sometimes we just need to go back to the basics of the 'Activities of Daily Living' in order to take better care of ourselves and start living Life rightly.

Below you will see 7 simple activities to accomplish at some point during the day all under the motivation of the the daily mentation question below. You have 24 hours to get through this question along with the 7 activities. READY? SET? GO!

What, who, where or when do I need to separate or distance myself?

Talking on the phone or playing games while you are on the toilet means you have dirty hands. While you may wash your hands after using the toilet, you probably didn't wash your phone after transferring fecal debris and body fluids to it. And if you are doing it, then so are others. Now imagine how many poopy hands are out there touching everything and everyone else. Beginning today, stop using your phone while on the toilet.

The buddy system works very well with exercise. Whether you are single or coupled-up, get your co-worker or partner to walk with you after lunch or after dinner. Even playing kickball with one of the children or your partner after dinner will help burn some calories and get your body moving. (Remember yesterday's physical movement post?) Think 'buddy system' today and motivate someone else besides yourself.

Cardboard and paper attract spiders, especially during the colder months when spiders come indoors to cozy up. Spiders also like to crawl inside clothing that is laying on the floor. EEEEK! Tell your kids this and they will stop piling their clothes on the floor and start handing them up. Rid your space of excess cardboard and replace it with plastic bins to store your excess belongings.

Spending money on nice things and then not using those things is simply a waste of money. Your self-worth speaks volumes. Wear your best cologne, carry your nicest purse, eat off the china, use the crystal and stop hoarding your Goodness. What Good is having these things if you do not use them? Saving these things for a special day is a waste because TODAY is special. Every day is special. Use your nicest things every single day.

Using a list reveals accomplishment. Whether the list is on the 'Notes' of your smartphone or a piece of paper in your pocket, using a list works wonders for productivity. Seeing tasks crossed off the list gives a sense of awareness of what needs to be done and a sense of accomplishment of what was completed. Use a list every single day to keep productivity moving.

Preparing more than enough food does not mean you have to eat it all, nor does it mean you have to eat leftovers for days until it is gone. It means you have just created some meals for the future. Portion the leftovers into individual containers for lunches and freeze them. I do this with roasts, hamburgers, chili, taco meat, chicken soup, baked chicken, etc., just about anything.

Choose two (2) of the 'Isoleucine' foods below and incorporate them into your diet today. Get creative!

DESCRIPTION: Isoleucine is an essential amino acid that is part of a branched chain amino acid group with leucine and valine. These three should always be taken together. It is one of several essential amino acids needed in the diet and humans cannot synthesize it from simpler metabolites. Young adults require about 20 mg of this isoleucine per day per kg (or about 8 mg per lb) of body weight. It can be degraded into simpler compounds by enzymes. In a rare, inherited disorder called maple syrup urine disease, an enzyme that is not functioning in the common pathway of isoleucine, leucine and valine causes the buildup of certain metabolites in the urine, resulting in the characteristic odor from which the disease gets its name.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS: It is needed to form of hemoglobin and regulates blood sugar levels. Therefore, if there is an imbalance, hypoglycemia could develop. It gets metabolized in the muscles and has to be taken with leucine and valine.

**This web site's goal is to provide you with information that may be useful in attaining optimal health. Nothing in it is meant as a prescription or as medical advice. You should check with your physician before implementing any changes in your exercise or lifestyle habits, especially if you have physical problems or are taking medications of any kind.